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Full Lineup Revealed for 2017 Kōhaku Song Contest

The NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen ("Red and White Song Contest") is a long-running New Year's Eve tradition on Japanese TV, pitting two teams of female singers (the red team) and male singers (the white team) against each other. The read team won the event last year, but the white team still has an overall lead with 36 wins against the read team's 31.

NHK revealed the full lineup for the teams on Thursday.

The teams in this year's contest, the 68th, feature leaders Kasumi Arimura (red team) and Kazunari Ninomiya (white team). Teruyoshi Uchimura and Maho Kuwako are the MCs this year. The theme again this year is "Let's Sing Our Dreams." The same theme is being used for the four years leading up to the 2020 Olympics, and 2019 will mark the 70th Kōhaku Uta Gassen contest.

Here's the full lineup for this year's event:
(Note: The number in parenthesis represents how many times the singer/group has appeared on the program, including this year.)

RED TEAM

• A I (3)
• E-girls (5)
• Sayuri Ishikawa (40)
• Yukino Ichikawa (2)
• AKB48 (10)
• Midori Oka (debut)
• Mai Kuraki (4)
• Keyakizaka46 (2)
• Fuyumi Sakamoto (29)
• Ringo Sheena (5)
• SHISHAMO (debut)
• Aya Shimazu (4)
• Superfly (2)
• Mariko Takahashi (5)
• Yoshimi Tendo (22)
• TWICE (debut)
• Kana Nishino (8)
• Nogizaka46 (3)
• Perfume (10)
• Takako Matsu (3)
• Seiko Matsuda (21)
• Kaori Mizumori (15)
• Little Glee Monster (debut)

WHITE TEAM

• Arashi (9)
• Hiroshi Itsuki (47)
• X JAPAN (8)
• Elephant Kashimashi (debut)
• KANJANI∞ (6)
• Hiromi Gō (30)
• Sandaime J Soul Brothers (6)
• SEKAI NO OWARI (4)
• Sexy Zone (5)
• Takehara Pistol (debut)
• Tortoise Matsumoto (debut)
• TOKIO (24)
• Kiyoshi Hikawa (18)
• Ken Hirai (8)
• Kōhei Fukuda (4)
• Masaharu Fukuyama (10)
• Hey! Say! JUMP (debut)
• Gen Hoshino (3)
• Daichi Miura (debut)
• Hiroshi Miyama (3)
• Keisuke Yamauchi (3)
• YUZU (8)
• WANIMA (debut)

[Via Hachima Kikō]